Fun with Fractions 2-3

FUN WITH FRACTIONS

FUN WITH FRACTIONS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will use fractions to describe the sounds that they hear in music. Students will then use fractions to create their own music.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 2-3
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create music to represent fractions.
  • I can identify and write fractions based on musical examples.

Essential Questions

  • How can musical composition help us understand fractions?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 3: 

3.NR.4: Represent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 in multiple ways within a framework using visual models.

Arts Standards

Grade 3: 

ESGM3.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

 

ESGM3.PR.2a. Perform steady beat and simple rhythmic patterns using body percussion and a variety of instruments with appropriate technique.

 

ESGM3.RE.1b. Describe music using appropriate vocabulary (e.g. upward/downward, forte/piano, presto/largo, long/short), appropriate mood (e.g. happy/sad), and timbre adjectives (e.g. dark/bright, heavy/light).

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 3:

3.NSF.1 Develop an understanding of fractions (i.e., denominators 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10) as numbers. 

  1. A fraction (called a unit fraction) is the quantity formed by one part when a whole is partitioned into equal parts; 
  2. A fraction is the quantity formed by parts of size

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can arrange and compose music.

Anchor Standard 4: I can play instruments alone and with others.

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Numerator -  The top number of a fraction
  • Denominator - The bottom number of a fraction

Arts Vocabulary

  • Found sound - Sounds created from unexpected sources; for example, using classroom objects (rulers, pencils, chairs, etc.) as musical instruments
  • Timbre - The quality of sound; the component of a tone that causes different instruments to sound different from each other, even when playing the same note; for example, instrumental timbre and vocal timbre
  • Body percussion - Sounds produced using the body (e.g., claps, snaps, pats, stamps)
  • Unpitched Instruments - Instruments that are tuned to specific pitches (e.g., drum, maracas, rhythm sticks, triangle, etc.)

 

Materials

  • Assortment of unpitched instruments (or found sound objects like an empty can or tapping two pencils together)  
  • Writing utensils  
  • Paper (or individual white boards) for students
  • Fraction cards

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Have students listen to various classroom instruments, body percussion, and/or found sounds and label them as same and different. 
    • For example, perform two claps and have students identify these as “same.” Tap a chair once and a water bottle once and have students identify as “different.”
  • Explain to students that timbre is the component of a tone that causes different instruments to sound different from each other, even when playing the same note; for example, instrumental timbre and vocal timbre.
    • Extend the opening to have students listen to various sounds performed on classroom instruments, body percussion, and/or found sound and describe the timbres, grouping instruments into families. 
    • Families could be woods, metals, and drums (or other “families,” such as if sounds were produced by tapping, scraping, or shaking as appropriate).

 

 

Work Session

  • Model the “sound detective” game. 
    • Have students draw a short horizontal line on their whiteboard or blank paper. 
    • Using a steady beat, play four of the same sounds on the same instrument. 
      • Have students write the number “4” on their whiteboard under the line. 
        • Identify this as the denominator indicating that there were four total sounds. 
      • Lead students to understanding that 4 identical sounds were heard; thus, to represent the sound fractionally, they would write a 4 on top of the line as well (that is, 4 of the 4 sounds were the same). 
        • Identify top number as numerator.
  • Follow this same process for additional 4-beat patterns, changing the number of “different” sounds and challenging students to represent these sounds fractionally. 
    • For example, if 3 of the 4 beats were played on a metal instrument, the sound could be represented as 3/4. 
  • Explore other ways of making sounds different from each other (e.g., loud and soft sounds—dynamics). 
  • Divide students into small groups. Distribute fraction cards to groups. 
    • Have students create a rhythm representing the fraction on their card and perform for peers. 
    • Have classmates identify what is heard. The denominator will need to be identified beforehand.

 

ELA Extension:

  • Use children’s poems to further explore fractions. 
    • Examples: 
      • “Mary Had a Little Lamb” has two lines that include rhyming words, so 2/4 lines (or 1/2) of the poem uses rhyming words. 
      • “Rain, Rain, Go Away” has four lines that use rhyming words, so 4/4 of the lines of the poem use rhyming words. 
    • To aid musical skill development, have students play the rhythm of the poem on their instruments.
    • Assign rhyming words to the same instrument so students make the connection between the sounds in the words and the sounds the instrument makes.
    • Suggested poems include:

 

Rain, Rain go away.                            Mary had a little lamb.

Come again another day.                     Its fleece was white as snow.

All the children want to play.             And everywhere that Mary went,

Rain, rain, go away.                           The lamb was sure to go.

 

Cock-a-doodle-doo,                           A wise old owl lived in the oak;

My dame has lost her shoe,               The more he saw the less he spoke.

My master’s lost his fiddling stick,   The less he spoke the more he heard.

        Sing cock-a-doodle-doo.           Why aren’t we all like that wise old bird?

 

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a class discussion reflecting on the process. 
  • Ask students how music helped them understand fractions.
  • Ask students if they can think of other things from the lesson that they could represent in terms of fractions. 
    • Examples could include three out of four students liked the sound of tapping on a can better than tapping two pencils together.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ learning by observing whether students can identify body percussion, found sound, and/or unpitched percussion instrument sounds as the same and different and whether students can count sounds and represent them with numbers.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can create music to accurately represent fractions.
  • Students can identify and write fractions based on musical examples.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

  • Challenge students to use higher denominators (beats in the musical composition) and more than two types of instruments.
  • Students can create their own compositions and then represent them by writing the equation showing the addition of all fractions in their composition.
  • Have students write poetry using rhyme schemes illustrating fractions. 
  • Divide students into pairs. Have them create rhythms representing the two fractions they are holding. Have classmates identify the two fractions heard. 

 

Remediation:

  • Have students work with a partner to write numbers describing the sounds heard. 
  • Have students work with a partner to identify rhyming words.
  • Perform body percussion and other sounds in front of students so they can see and hear the same and different sounds and sound sources.

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

 Ideas contributed and updated by:  Maribeth Yoder-White

 Revised and copyright:  June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

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Gotta HAND It To Our Artists K-1

GOTTA “HAND” IT TO OUR ARTISTS

GOTTA “HAND” IT TO OUR ARTISTS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will create a “self-portrait” to show who they are in a unique way! Rather than a standard self-portrait with traditional facial features, students will trace their hand adding colored patterns on the inside. These patterns will be inspired by the art of the Ndebele ([NDI] + [BEL] + [EE]) people to represent what makes them unique. Students will then add writing to explain their “self-portrait”.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS, ELA,
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create artwork inspired by the artwork of the Ndebele people.

  • I can use visual art to tell others about myself

  • I can use the elements of line, shape, and color to create a unique artwork.

  • I can explain my artwork through writing.

Essential Questions

  • How can art be used to tell about oneself?

  • How are lines, shapes, and colors used to create art?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELAGSEKW2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

 

ELAGSEKSL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

 

ELACCKSL5:  Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

 

Grade 1:

ELACC1W2:  Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

 

ELAGSE1SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

 

ELACC1SL4:  Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.  

 

ELACC1SL5:  Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

VAK.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

 

VAK.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

 

VAK.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

 

VAK.CN.1 Investigate and discover the personal relationships of artists to community, culture, and the world through making and studying art.

 

VAK.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art. 

 

Grade 1:

VA1.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

 

VA1.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

 

VA1.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

 

VA1.CN.1 Investigate and discover the personal relationships of artists to community, culture, and the world through making and studying art.

 

VA1.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten

WRITING - Meaning, Context, and Craft

Standard 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

2.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts that name and supply information about the topic.

 

COMMUNICATION - Meaning and Context

Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

1.2 Practice the skills of taking turns, listening to others, and speaking clearly.

1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups.

 

Grade 1

WRITING - Meaning, Context, and Craft

Standard 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

2.1 Explore print and multimedia sources to write informative/explanatory texts that name a topic, supply facts about the topic, and provide a sense of closure. 

 

COMMUNICATION - Meaning and Context

Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

1.2 Practice the skills of taking turns, listening to others, and speaking clearly.

1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups.

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

Anchor Standard 4: I can organize work for presentation and documentation to reflect specific content, ideas, skills, and or media

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Ndebele Tribe - A Bantu ethnic group in Southern Africa, primarily found in Zimbabwe and South Africa. They are known for their distinctive artistic traditions, particularly their colorful beadwork and house painting

Arts Vocabulary

  • Elements of Art - The fundamental components that artists use to create visual works
  • Line - An element of art that defines space, contours and outline
  • Shape - A two-dimensional enclosed object
  • Color - An art element with three properties: hue, value and intensity; reflected or absorbed light; warm colors (red, orange, yellow); cool colors (blue, green, violet)
  • Self-Portrait - A visual representation of oneself
  • Pattern - One of the principles of design; the repetition of specific visual elements such as line or shape
  • Value - The lightness or darkness of a color

 

Materials

     

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    • Using an image of Ndebele artwork, ask students to work collaboratively to engage in the See, Think, Wonder protocol. 
      • First, students will identify what they see in the image. Emphasize that they should make objective observations about the artwork (i.e. lines, colors, shapes, etc.). 
      • Next, ask students to identify what they think about the image. Emphasize that students should be creating inferences using visual evidence from the image. 
      • Finally, ask students what they wonder about the image. 
    • Facilitate a class-wide discussion around students’ observations, inferences, and questions.

     

    Work Session

      • Discuss the importance of a handprint, thinking about how each hand print is unique, just as each person is unique. 
      • Ask students to choose three things about themselves that make them unique.
        • Allow students to pair share; model for students how to take turns.
        • Ask several students to volunteer to share one thing about their partner that makes them unique.
      • Tell students that they will be using the art of the Nbedele people to inspire a “self-portrait” that shows what makes them unique.
        • Have students follow along with this chant saying: 

      Ndebele, Ndebele,  

      With their hands they made their art! Colors, lines and shapes,  

      These are the elements from which to start!
      Rhythm-ong ©

      • Show students on a map where the Ndebele people are from–primarily South Africa and Zimbabwe.
      • Facilitate a brief discussion about the art of the Ndebele Tribe, looking closely at their colored patterned artworks. 
        • Direct students to describe the types of lines used to create patterns. 
        • Then, ask students to describe the color combinations that the artists use.
      • Pass out paper. Demonstrate to students how to trace their hand with a pencil onto their paper. Students will go over their hand outline in black marker. Assist students with this task as needed.
      • Using black markers, students will create a line design inside the hand. Project an image of the art of the Nbedele people to remind students of the types of pattern and lines they used in their art.
      • Tell students to select three colors–one for each characteristic that makes them unique. 
      • Students will then begin the coloring process. Tell students to color in the spaces between the black lines with the colors they selected, paying close attention to each individual shape created. Encourage students to “paint” with their markers by coloring their “brush strokes” in the same direction.
      • Students will then embellish their art with oil pastel blending techniques using a cool (green, blue, violet) or warm (red, orange, yellow) color palette. They will go around the hand with their darkest value color first (red or violet), medium value (orange or blue), then lightest value (yellow or green) to create a “glow”. 
      • Finally, students will write complete sentences (as age appropriate) to tell about each color and why they used it.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • In small groups or with a partner, students will present their artwork to their classmates. 
        • Students should share how the artwork of the Ndebele people influenced their pattern choices.
        • Students should share the colors they used and why they selected them.

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess student understanding through student discussions of the art of the Nbedele people; students’ use of line, shape, color and pattern; and students’ ability to select colors that have personal meaning.

       

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can use the elements of line, shape, and color to create a unique artwork. 
      • Students can use the characteristics of the artwork of the Ndebele people to inspire their artwork.
      • Students can use visual art to tell others about themselves.
      • Students can explain their artwork through writing.

       

       

       

      Differentiation

      Acceleration: 

      • Have students add expressive words or vocabulary words into the artwork. These words can be hidden or obvious and give each piece a more individual feel. 
      • Teachers can also tie this lesson in with Australian Aborigines art or prehistoric handprint art.

      Remediation: 

      • Allow students to orally explain their artwork rather than writing about it. 
      • Provide sentence starters for students.
      • Provide a hand outline template for students to use rather than tracing their own hands.

       

       ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

       

      • Classroom Tips: Using markers as opposed to paint, makes this lesson very doable in any classroom setting. The success lies in teaching your students how to appropriately “paint” with markers keeping their “strokes” going in the same direction.
      • Images of Ndebele artwork
      • Khan, Gulshan, et al. “Ndebele Art.” Getty Images, www.gettyimages.com/photos/ndebele-art. Accessed 26 June 2023.

      *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

      Ideas contributed and updated by: Debi West and Katy Betts

      Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       
      Back to Modules

      Impersonating Picasso 4-5

      IMPERSONATING PICASSO

      IMPERSONATING PICASSO

      Learning Description

      In this lesson, students will explore the life and inspirations of the artist Pablo Picasso and the different periods of his art. They will use this knowledge to recreate their favorite Picasso piece or create an original artwork inspired by what they learned. Students will then apply opinion writing techniques to persuade their classmates to purchase their artwork.

       

      Learning Targets

      GRADE BAND: 4-5
      CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & ELA
      LESSON DOWNLOADS:

      Download PDF of this Lesson

      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can convey meaning through my art.
      • I can use color to reflect a personal “period” of art.
      • I can use art terms to tell someone why they should purchase my art.
      • I can support the reasons why someone should buy my artwork with relevant details.
      • I can explain my personal art “period” and why I chose particular colors and subjects in my art.

      Essential Questions

      • What inspired the different periods of Picasso’s art?
      • How does color and style communicate meaning in art?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 4: 

      ELAGSE4RI1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

       

      ELAGSE4RI2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

       

      ELAGSE4W1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose. b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details. c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition). d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

       

      Grade 5: 

      ELAGSE5RI2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

       

      ELAGSE5RI3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

       

      ELAGSE5W1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose. b. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details. c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically). d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

      Arts Standards

      Grade 4: 

      VA4.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

      VA4.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

      VA4.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

      VA4.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.

       

      Grade 5: 

      VA5.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

      VA5.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

      VA5.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

      VA5.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.

       

      South Carolina Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 4: 

      ELA.4.AOR.1.2 Determine and explain how figurative language impacts meaning and contributes to the reader’s experience.

       

      ELA.4.C.1.1 Write arguments to make a claim about a topic. When writing: a. introduce a topic and state an opinion about the topic; b. provide reasons supported by facts from a credible source(s); and c. group ideas logically using transitional words and phrases; and d. provide a concluding statement or section.

       

      Grade 5: 

      ELA.5.AOR.2.2 Explain the development of a stated or implied central idea over the course of an informational text.

       

      ELA.5.C.1.1 Write arguments to make a claim about a topic. When writing: a. introduce a topic and make a claim about the topic; b. include reasons that are supported by facts from a credible source(s); c. develop an organizational structure in which ideas are grouped logically; d. use transitions to link and structure ideas; and e. provide a concluding statement or section.

      Arts Standards

      Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

      Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

      Anchor Standard 5: I can interpret and evaluate the meaning of an artwork.

      Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

       

      Key Vocabulary

      Content Vocabulary

      • Opinion writing - A form of writing in which the author expresses their personal beliefs, thoughts, or feelings about a particular topic or issue
      • Informational text - A type of nonfiction writing that conveys facts, details, and information about a particular subject
      • Biography - A detailed account of a person's life, written by someone else

      Arts Vocabulary

      • Mood - A state or quality of feeling at a particular time
      • Cubism - The name given to the painting style invented by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque between 1906 and 1914. Cubists used multiple views of objects to create the effect of their three-dimensionality, while acknowledging the two-dimensional surface of the picture plane.
      • Abstract - Non-objective art, art that utilizes shape, color and texture, without representing real objects
      • Organic/free form shapes - Shapes without straight lines; irregular shapes
      • Geometric shapes - Precise and regular shapes that are defined by mathematical principles
      • Color - The element that is produced when light, striking an object, is reflected back to the eye. It is one of the fundamental elements of art and plays a crucial role in creating mood, expressing emotion, and conveying messages. Color in art can be understood and manipulated through various properties:
        • Hue: The name of a color (e.g., red, blue, yellow).
        • Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.
        • Saturation (or intensity): The purity or brightness of a color

       

      Materials

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      Teacher note: This lesson uses Pablo Picasso as the artist of study, but any established artist can be used as a substitute.

       

      • Project two images of Pablo Picasso’s artworks from different periods in his career side by side on the board, such as “The Visit (The Two Sisters)” and “Seated Harlequin”.
      • Ask students to work collaboratively to engage in the See, Think, Wonder Artful Thinking Routine.
        • First, students will identify what they see in the images. Emphasize that they should make objective observations about the image (i.e. physical features, colors, textures, etc.). Direct students’ observations to both the similarities and differences between the images.
        • Next, ask students to identify what they think about the images. Emphasize that students should be creating inferences using visual evidence from the images. Direct students’ conversation towards what Picasso might have been trying to convey (mood).
        • Finally, ask students what they wonder about the images.
      • Facilitate a class-wide discussion around students’ observations, inferences, and questions.

       

      Work Session

      Part 1 – Building Background

      • In guided reading groups (or as a whole group), read and discuss the life of Pablo Picasso.
      • Share the following biographical information with students.
        • Picasso was born Oct 25, 1881, in Malaga, Spain.
        • Picasso’s father was a painter and recognized that Picasso was much better than him by the time he was 13.
        • Picasso’s paintings often depicted and mirrored his life and what he observed.
        • Picasso settled in Paris in 1904. He was fascinated by the city’s Bohemian streets. He often expressed human suffering by portraying blind figures and beggars in his paintings.
        • It was at this time that he also experienced the death of a close friend. Because of this, he started using various shades of blue in his work for the next few years.
          • This period was called Picasso’s Blue Period (1901-1904).
          • Show students an image of one of the paintings from his Blue Period, such as “The Old Guitarist”. Ask students what they think the mood of the painting is and why. Ask them how color plays a role in the mood.
        • In 1905-06, Picasso met Fernande Olivier, the first of many companions to influence the theme, style, and the mood of his work.
        • This happy relationship changed his palette to pinks and reds, bringing in distinctive beige or "rose" tones. The subject matter also is less depressing. This period became known as his Rose Period.
        • Here are the first appearances by the circus performers and clowns, which he visited several times a week, and appear often in later stages of his career.
          • Show students an image of one of the paintings from his Rose Period, such as “Acrobat and Young Harlequin”. Ask them how the warm colors in this painting create a different mood that the blues in “The Old Guitarist”.
        • In late 1906, Picasso started to paint in a unique manner that was inspired by Cezanne’s flattened depiction of space and his friend Georges Braque.
        • Picasso began to express space in strongly geometrical terms.
          • Show students an image of a painting from his Cubist Period, such as “Three Musicians”. Ask students how the figures look different in this image than in the previous two images that they looked at.
        • These initial efforts at developing this almost sculptural sense of space in painting are the beginnings of Cubism.
        • By the late '30s, Picasso was the most famous artist in the world. He was called upon to depict the brutality of fascist aggression in the Spanish Civil War with his monumental "Guernica" painting. Many other paintings from this period reflect the horror of war.
        • Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973.

       

      Part 2 – Creating Artwork

      • View several different pieces of Picasso’s artwork from the different periods or go back to the three works that students looked at in the previous session, and discuss how they are different and why (students should recognize the Rose Period, Blue Period, and Cubist Period of his work).
      • Discuss how tone and color change the “mood” of a piece of artwork and discuss how it conveys a message.
      • Discuss geometry in Picasso’s cubist artwork and how he found beauty in the oddity of the shapes.
        • How does cubism relate to 3-D objects and paintings?
        • What effect do you think he was trying to achieve?
      • Tell students that they will be creating art inspired by Picasso.
      • There are three variations to the artwork students can create:
        • Option 1: Ask students to think of something in their own personal life that they would like to represent. Have students create their own “art period” and give it a color. Remind students how color reflects mood, so the colors they choose should reflect the mood of what they are representing.
        • Option 2: Have students recreate one of Picasso’s pieces. They will reinterpret it using their own “art period”, like Picasso’s Blue Period. Have students analyze how their interpretation is different and changes the mood of the artwork.
        • Option 3: Have students draw a person using geometric shapes. Then have them cut it up and glue it in collage style to represent the cubist style.

       

      Part 3 – Persuasive Writing

      • Tell students that many famous artists whose work is worth millions of dollars now, originally were not popular and often struggled to make a living.
      • Tell students that they will be writing to persuade an important art collector to purchase the piece of artwork they just created.
        • Students’ writing should:
          • Include several reasons why someone should buy their artwork supporting them with relevant details.
          • Use the art concepts that they used, such as the personal “art period”, Cubism, geometric shapes, etc.
          • Explain their personal “art period” and why they chose particular colors and subjects in their piece.
          • Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition, etc.).
          • Structure ideas in a well-organized format.
          • Include a conclusion.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Students should share their artwork with a partner. Their partner will imagine themselves to be a wealthy art collector. They will try to persuade their partner to purchase their artwork using the information in their writing. Students should not read their artwork but should focus on communication skills through conversation.
      • Debrief the process with students and ask if anyone was persuaded to purchase the artwork. Ask them to explain why.
      • Finish the lesson with two “glows” and a “grow”. Ask students to identify two things they did well/were proud of themselves for and one thing they would like to do differently next time they do a lesson like this.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, discussion of the life and background of Pablo Picasso to determine students’ comprehension, discussion of Picasso’s artworks from different periods, individual artmaking process, and conferencing with students during the writing process.

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can convey their meaning through their art.
      • Students can explain the reasons why someone should buy their artwork supporting them with specific reasons and using the art concepts that they used, such as the personal “art period”, Cubism, geometric shapes, etc.
      • Students can explain how they conveyed meaning in their artwork.

       

      DIFFERENTIATION 

      Acceleration: Encourage students to research famous artists to see who was known for creating both 2-D (such as drawing and painting) and 3-D (such as sculpture) art pieces (including but not limited to artists such as DaVinci, Van Gogh, and Jackson Pollock. They can create a digital presentation, such as a PowerPoint, that shows pictures of the artist’s 2-D and 3-D art. Students can then reinterpret their 2-D artwork in a 3-D style that reflects one of the chosen artists.

      Remediation: When presenting information about Picasso, provide the students with video as well as books for the more visual/auditory learners. Have the vocabulary terms posted visually for the students, with examples of each. When creating the artwork, use developmentally-appropriate terms to describe the mood of the artwork.

      ESOL Modifications and Adaptations: ESOL students will need to look at the additional artwork on the different artists and discuss the mood (feeling in the art work) and period (time from when the artwork was created) to make sure they understand the context. For the opinion writing piece, the students will orally persuade someone to purchase the piece of artwork created by the student.

       ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

      *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

      Ideas contributed by: Whitney Jones. Modifications, Extensions, and Adaptations Contributed by: Candy Bennett, Patty Bickell, Vilma Thomas, and Lori Young. Reviewed by Debbie Frost. Updated by: Katy Betts.

      Revised and copyright: August 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       

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      Invention Convention K-1

      INVENTION CONVENTION

      INVENTION CONVENTION

      Learning Description

      Challenge your students in a new way as they work collaboratively to imagine inventions that could address class problem. Students will imagine the different components of the invention using sound and movement to embody it and bring it to life.

       

      Learning Targets

      GRADE BAND: K-1
      CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE, SCIENCE & ELA
      LESSON DOWNLOADS:

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      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can collaborate effectively with others to clearly demonstrate our invention using my voice and body.
      • I can clearly articulate, describe, and illustrate my ideas through writing and drawing.

      Essential Questions

      • What is an invention?
      • How can I work with a team to develop and enact an invention?
      • How can theatre techniques be used to communicate ideas?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Kindergarten:

      ELAGSEKSL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

      ELAGSEKSL4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

      ELAGSEKSL5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

      ELAGSEKSL6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

       

      Grade 1:

      ELAGSE1SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges. c. Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.

      ELAGSE1SL4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

      ELAGSE1SL5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

      ELAGSE1SL6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.

      Arts Standards

      Kindergarten:

      TAK.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

      TAK.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

      TAK.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

       

      Grade 1:

      TA1.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

      TA1.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

      TA1.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

       

      South Carolina Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Kindergarten:

      COMMUNICATION - Meaning and Context

      Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

      1.2 Practice the skills of taking turns, listening to others, and speaking clearly.

      1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups.

      1.5 Explain personal ideas and build on the ideas of others by responding and relating to comments made.

       

      Standard 3: Communicate information through strategic use of multiple modalities and multimedia to enrich understanding when presenting ideas and information.

      3.2 Use appropriate props, images, or illustrations to support verbal communication.

       

      Grade 1:

      COMMUNICATION - Meaning and Context

      Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

      1.2 Practice the skills of taking turns, listening to others, and speaking clearly.

      1.4 Participate in shared conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups.

      1.5 Explain personal ideas and build on the ideas of others by responding and relating to comments made in multiple exchanges.

       

      Standard 3: Communicate information through strategic use of multiple modalities and multimedia to enrich understanding when presenting ideas and information.

      3.2 Use visual displays to support verbal communication and clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

      Arts Standards

      Anchor Standard 3: I can act in improvised scenes and written scripts.

       

      Key Vocabulary

      Content Vocabulary

      • Invention - Something that has been created or devised, typically a process or device
      • Inventor - A person who created or devised a particular process or device or who creates or devises processes and devices as an occupation
      • Machine - An apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function, that together perform a particular task

      Arts Vocabulary

      • Voice - An actor’s tool that we shape and change to portray the way a character speaks or sounds
      • Body - An actor’s tool that we shape and change to portray the way a character looks, walks, or moves
      • Ensemble - A ensemble of actors working together

       

      Materials

      • Whiteboard or smartboard
      • Markers
      • Paper
      • Pencils and other writing and drawing implements

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      Machine Activity

      • Lead students through a traditional theatre exercise called the “Machine”.
        • Discuss how machines have different parts that often have repetitive movements and sounds.
        • Inform students that in this activity they will use their voices and bodies to become parts of a machine, and as an ensemble they will create a machine.
      • Model for students creating a repetitive movement and sound (e.g., arm rotating in a circle, voice saying “Wee-OPP!  Wee-OPP!”)  Emphasize that the movement and sound can be random, but must be sustainable, so it should not be too difficult, require too much energy, or strain the voice.
      • Have a volunteer come to the front or the center to establish the first component of the machine.
      • One by one, have students add on to the machine.  Emphasize that they can face in different directions, assume different levels, and move and make sounds with different rhythms.
        • Remind them that new components can reflect or connect with existing components.
        • Coach students who have difficulty coming up with ideas.
        • Continue to add components until all students are part of the machine.
      • Option: Give the instruction that the machine moves faster and gets louder for an exciting crescendo until it breaks down.

       

      Work Session

      • Define inventor and invention, and discuss the role of inventors in society and in history, identifying some famous inventions/inventors throughout history.
        • Ask the following questions:
          • “What do you think is the greatest thing that has ever been invented?
          • Can you name some famous inventors and what they are famous for inventing?”. Students may need help with this, so having some examples that students encounter everyday, such as cars, lightbulbs, pencils, etc. will be helpful.
            • Examples: Alexander Graham Bell – telephone; George Washington Carver – agricultural processes; Margaret Knight – folding paper bag; Willis Haviland Carrier – air conditioner; Thomas Edison – light bulb; Joseph Dixon – pencil; Sarah Boone – ironing board; Garrett Morgan – traffic light; John S. Pemberton – CocaCola; Madame C.J. Walker – hair care products; Isaac Merrit Singer – sewing machine; Mary Anderson – windshield wipers; Grace Hopper – computer coding.
      • Tell students, “Now we will become inventors!” Present students with a problem that they can relate to, such as, the class wants to have a rabbit as a class pet, but the rabbit must stay at school over the weekends. How will the rabbit get food and water?
        • As students share invention ideas, record them on the board.
      • Assign working teams of two to three students.
      • In their ensembles, students should discuss which idea they would like to develop.  Work with the class to ensure that a variety of ideas will be represented.
      • Have ensembles discuss the components of their invention, and how it would work.
        • “What parts do you see?  What are their colors, shapes, movements and sounds?  How would the parts connect with and affect each other?  What would power the machine?  What would be put into the machine, and/or what would come out of it?  What scientific processes are involved in your invention (e.g. simple machines, forces, heat, electricity, magnets, etc.)?”
        • Have the groups draw pictures of their ideas.
        • During the ensemble work time, conference with the ensembles to coach them on the development of their ideas.
      • Explain, “Now that you have imagined and developed amazing inventions, you will work as an ensemble using your actors' tools – voice and body – to bring them to life”.
        • Explain that an ensemble is a group of performers that work together and that an effective ensemble takes turns, listens to everyone’s ideas, is careful to be safe, and takes time to practice.
      • Have ensembles decide which component of the invention each member of the ensemble will act out.
        • Remind students that they will use their bodies to create the movements of the invention, and their voices to create the sounds.
        • For sounds, they can also use body percussion (e.g., claps, stomps).
        • Depending on the nature of the invention, it is acceptable for one student to have multiple roles, or for two students to work together to create one component.
      • Have the ensembles stand and work in assigned areas of the classroom to rehearse and refine the demonstrations of their invention.
        • Have students practice an introduction to their demonstration with the name of their invention. Instruct students to be prepared to explain how their invention works after they demonstrate it.
      • Invention Convention: Have the ensembles present their demonstrations to the class, with their introduction and explanation. Allow time for questions and answers of each ensemble about their invention.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Reflect on each demonstration after it is presented, discussing the merits of the invention idea and how the ensemble used their voices and bodies to demonstrate it.
      • Have each student write about their ensemble’s invention and/or draw a picture of it, describing/illustrating what it does.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, discussion of what an invention is and what inventors do, and collaboration with their groups to design and perform an invention to address a class need.

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can collaborate effectively as an ensemble to clearly demonstrate their invention ideas using their voices and bodies.
      • Students can clearly articulate, describe, and illustrate their ideas in their writings and drawings.

       

      DIFFERENTIATION 

      Acceleration: Challenge students to identify their own problem and develop an idea for an invention that will address the problem.

      Remediation:  

      • Engage in the process as a whole class, rather than in small ensembles, focusing on a single invention idea.
      • For the opening “Machine” activity, involve smaller numbers of students in several iterations, rather than the entire class at once.
      • Allow multiple students to work together to become a particular component of the invention so that they can do the movements and sounds together.

       ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

      • Picture books about individual inventors, such as The Boy Who Invented TV (Philo Farnsworth), by Kathleen Krull; Counting on Catherine (Catherine Johnson), by Helaine Becker; and June Almeida, Virus Detective, by Suzanne Slade.
      • Books about the invention process, such as The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires; Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty; and What Do You Do With an Idea?, by Kobi Yamada.
      • PBS Learning Media, “What Are Inventions?”

      *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

      Ideas contributed by: Susie Spear Purcell and Barry Stewart Mann. Updated by Katy Betts.

      Revised and copyright: July 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       

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